Seattle – The No. 4 University of Arizona men’s basketball team (24-12, 14-6 in Big 12) lasted through the final seconds in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, as Arizona clung on to an 87-83 victory over the No. 5 University of Oregon (25-10, 12-8 Big 10). The Wildcats will reach their third Sweet 16 appearance in four seasons under head coach Tommy Lloyd.
Caleb Love led Arizona with his second-highest scoring game of the season, putting up 29 points, nine rebounds and four assists, including shooting 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. Four Wildcats scored 12 points including Anthony Dell’Orso, Jaden Bradley, Tobe Awaka and KJ Lewis. Awaka, being a defensive anchor for Arizona, collected 14 individual rebounds, a game-high. Arizona’s bench outscored Oregon 20-12 as the Wildcats shot a collective 45.2% from the field in the game and 46.2% from the 3-point line. The Wildcats held the Ducks to just 7-for-20 made attempts from beyond the arc.
“I knew there was so much time in the game with so many possessions, you just didn’t want to dig a deeper hole. I feel like if we cut it to 9 then 7 [points], I mean, I’ve been in so many of those games where I’ve been on the other end of them. You almost feel like it’s inevitable that a good team is going to come back on you, so I wanted them [Oregon] to feel that and I wanted our guys just to hang with it,” said Lloyd.
“I think just grabbing all those rebounds is just a mindset, trying to be physical, doing your work early, making contact first and then locating the ball. But you know, obviously, my teammates made it kind of easy for me too, blocking out their guys, playing great defense, so those basketballs were able to sort of land in my hand,” said Awaka. “It’s always fun going back East, I’m from Hyde Park originally […]. So definitely looking forward to seeing some family, seeing some loved ones.”
First half
In the game’s opening minutes, Oregon forward Brandon Angel scored the first 5 points for the Ducks when Arizona guard Love got the Wildcats on the board with a jumper. After getting the foul call, Bradley was able to get to the line for two free throws. The Ducks did a good job forcing Arizona to miss and go on a scoring lull for more than two minutes. Oregon found an 11-0 scoring run in five minutes of the first half, causing a 19-4 score build-up.
Despite Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd putting in Carter Bryant to block the rim, 6-foot-9 forward Kwame Evans Jr. was able to score a layup. Arizona had to get more comfortable shooting from beyond the perimeter, as Bryant made a 3-pointer to score the tenth point for the Wildcats. Jackson Shelstad hit his shot from beyond the arc but was answered on the other end with a layup by Lewis, trimming the Oregon lead to 12 points. Love was able to score a jumper but Oregon’s advantage was brought back up to 12 after Keeshawn Barthelemy made a driving layup.
After three made jumpers scored by Arizona, the Wildcats were able to shorten the lead to a one-possession game but were unable to find the lead with their next possession on the other end. The Ducks responded to Arizona’s run as T.J. Bamba hit a second-chance 3-pointer just before time expired on the shot clock.
Trading possessions and fighting for the narrow lead, Arizona found a way to grab rebounds and make a layup after multiple attempts at the rim. The Wildcats grabbed their first lead of the game which was quickly taken back by a layup in the paint by Bamba. Dell’Orso nailed a 3-pointer for the Wildcats that put the Wildcats in control of the 35-33 score. Off the fast break and out of a timeout, Nate Bittle scored for Oregon squaring the game at 35. However, this wouldn’t last long as Bradley found the net to give the Wildcats a two-point cushion.
The Wildcats went into halftime leading the Ducks 42-38. Bradley led Arizona with 11 first-half points, shooting 5-for-8 from the field and dished out three assists. Love followed closely with 9 points and three rebounds. Awaka played a huge part defensively for Arizona, bringing down 11 rebounds. Despite the Wildcats starting with an inefficient 1-for-6 shooting from the field in the opening minutes, Arizona shot a collective 45.7% from the field.
Second half
Awaka scored on the first Arizona possession out of halftime, pulling the Wildcats ahead 44-38. Bamba scored the Ducks’ first points out of the half, getting within 3 points of the score. Love extended Arizona’s lead to 6 points with a 3-point jumper, sparking an 8-0 Wildcat scoring run. Dell’Orso scored the next 5 points for Arizona, including a shot from beyond the arc off an Oregon turnover.
With both programs attempting to gain shots in the paint, Arizona and Oregon made back-to-back hookshot jumpers as Bittle reduced the lead to 56-47, prompting a timeout. The Ducks went on a 7-0 scoring run that brought Oregon within 4 points of the 56-52 score after Shelstad hit a 3-pointer. Out of a 30-second Arizona timeout, Love hit a stepback 3-pointer out of a that extended the Wildcats advantage 59-52. Bryant created Oregon’s eighth turnover, which led to a technical foul called on Lewis for an interesting put-back on a dunk.
“So, I didn’t know if like, if you miss a dunk, you hang on the rim, and it’d be a tech, so I think that’s what it was, so hanging on the rim is what the ref told me,” said Lewis.
Arizona led 61-53 after Henri Veesaar scored a dunk off an assist by Love. The Ducks fought to keep themselves within reaching distance of the lead, as Supreme Cook’s hookshot jumper was called for a goaltend after an attempted block by Bryant. As Awaka was awarded his fourth foul with 8:40 remaining in the game, Veesaar came in as a sub. The Ducks cut the score to just 4 points and soon after were sent to the line after Bradley was called for his third foul.
Lewis hit a layup on the fast break that put the Wildcats up 70-65 but Bittle responded on the other end for the Ducks, scoring a layup himself. Approaching five minutes left in the game, Love was put on the line after getting a foul call, resulting in two made free throws. Shelstad hit a pull-up jumper that had erased the Wildcat’s double-digit lead to just 2 points. That’s when Love found himself beyond the arc on the next possession to score the 3-pointer.
Arizona was able to force a missed possession by the Ducks where on the other end, Love made a dunk that brought the lead up by 7 points with 2:37 remaining in the second half. The Wildcats found themselves in more foul trouble as Veesaar gained his fourth personal, leading to a 3-point play by the Ducks that put them within the 77-73 score. Love was able to hit a 3-point jumper on the other end, stretching the Wildcats’ lead to 80-73 with just two minutes remaining in regulation. Barthelemy hit a 3-pointer for the Ducks that brought them within 4 points of the Wildcats’ 80 points.
The Ducks scored the next 5 points with a 3-pointer by Barthelemy, followed by a jumper that Bittle took. As the score stood at 80-78 with 49 seconds in regulation, Arizona took a timeout. With Oregon fouling Arizona put the Wildcats in the bonus, Bradley went to the line for two free throws as he shot 1-of-2 allowing the Wildcats to lead 81-78. However, Shelstad scored a driving layup to get within just 1 point of the lead with 10 seconds remaining.
As Arizona began the foul game, Dell’Orso went to the line for free throws, making both. Arizona fouled Oregon with 5.7 seconds remaining in the game which sent Shelstad to the line as he hit two free throws. However, they would respond right back as Dell’Orso headed to the line once again to make two free throws. Ultimately, the Wildcats ended the game with clutch shots at the line, as Love put Arizona up by 4 points with only 2 seconds remaining in regulation. Arizona allowed the clock to expire on the next play as Oregon inbounded the ball but was unsuccessful at the last shot attempt in the game, ending their NCAA Tournament.
“He’s [Caleb Love] has been a great gentleman for me to coach, and people who have this perception of him otherwise just don’t know him. So, I’m really proud of the leader he’s become […]. Even this tournament is not going to define his career or make his life better […]. He’s so ready for the next step. I think when this college thing ends for him, you know. I’ll be sad because I’m going to lose a great player but I’m also going to be happy for him […]. I don’t see any way he’ll be denied from reaching his dreams,” said Lloyd.
Looking ahead
Arizona will now pivot its focus and move onto the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament as the Wildcats take on the No. 1 Duke University Blue Devils (33-3, 19-1 in ACC) on Thursday, March 27 at 6:39 p.m. MST in the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
